Perception that Israel is not responsible for Gaza is wrong
Photo: AP
Israeli-American failure
Gaza Strip strategy advanced by Jerusalem, Washington falls apart
The Hamas takeover in Gaza has exposed the Israeli and American strategic bankruptcy. Four basic perceptions shared by Israel and the US have been proven false:
First, what happens in Gaza won't reach us. We left the Strip, built a defensive wall around it, and as far as we're concerned – the Palestinians within the wall can do whatever they want, and even kill each other. Wrong: The internal chaos is boiling over to us as well and hits Sderot and the western Negev.
The second perception was that we're not responsible for what's going on in the Gaza Strip. Wrong: We control the Strip from the outside, through the air, and everything that moves on the ground. Part of the Gaza Strip infrastructure is connected to Israel. And in order to go there we don't need a visa from Cairo – all we need is an order by an Israeli commander on the ground.
The third perception is that the Strip can be disconnected from the West Bank. Wrong: Hamas and Islamic Jihad responded with Qassam fire to Israeli military operations in the West Bank, and the Hamas-Fatah confrontation is shifting to Judea and Samaria. Fatah support in Gaza cannot be totally erased, and in the West Bank too Hamas has a significant hold.
The social differences between most Gaza residents and most West Bank residents don't make them two separate people, just like social gaps in Israel between the "Russians" and the "Moroccans" do not tear apart Israelis into two separate people.
The fourth perception proven false is that Israel should and can prevent the existence of a central Palestinian government. At the beginning of the Intifada, Israeli deliberately targeted the Palestinian Authority government because it viewed it as terror-sponsoring. Another consideration that guided Israel: If a strong Palestinian Authority would be able to suppress terror groups and present Israel with a diplomatic challenge, it would enjoy broad international support. Israel would then have to pursue an agreement and pay the price it refuses to pay.
Chaos refused to cooperate
The solution came in the form of controlled chaos, where Mahmoud Abbas and Mohammad Dahlan played key roles – the former was an Israeli and American asset in the form of a weak leader that allows the chaos, while the latter served as the operational arm of the Palestinian president that enabled Fatah to enforce its limited authority and contributed to the chaos.
Of course, Hamas also contributed its share through the battles with Fatah and the flawed manner in which it conducted itself since the elections. Hence, Hamas also served the Israeli-American strategy, which asserted that through controlled chaos it would be possible to contain the Palestinian territories over time without engaging in diplomatic negotiations on a final-status agreement.
The American Administration, along with Israel, led the international boycott on Hamas and prevented any diplomatic breakthrough. Washington and Jerusalem were convinced they found the magic formula that weakens Hamas, grants Fatah certain power, prevents the emergence of a central Palestinian government, and allows Israel to undertake a series of unilateral moves in the Territories.
Israel and the US faced tactical disagreements with regards to how far they can go in one direction or another – yet they agreed on the strategy. Hamas' takeover of the Gaza Strip makes it clear how short-term this strategy was. The chaos refused to cooperate over time – and the monster turned on its creator.
Now, Washington and Jerusalem need to change the strategy that has been guiding them for about seven years now. However, the reactions we see from both of them do not show that they learned the lesson of strategic failures.
Dr. Klein is one of the initiators of the Geneva Accord
